The Elementary Program (ages
6 - 12)
Montessori education is based on the belief
that each person carries a love of learning within himself
or herself, which, given the proper environment, becomes
a motivating force to explore the world. A child who has
been encouraged to explore and allowed to self-direct from
an early age will carry throughout life the tendency to
be an active, creative, and broadly focused learner.
The Montessori Elementary classroom continues
the experience of individualized learning the children benefit
from in the primary years. Respect for each child, for the
process of exploration, and for the classroom community
is paramount. Social development blossoms with the three-year
age span, as the spirit of cooperation inherent in the life
of the group encourages children to create friendships that
have greater depth.
The foundations of self-direction and innovation
laid in the primary program will serve the older child well.
Children who enter the program without the primary experience
will receive special attention in order to encourage the development
of the self-motivated learner within.
The children are divided by age into the
Younger Elementary (6-9 years) and the Older Elementary
(9-12 years) classrooms. While there are some age-appropriate
differences in the curriculum in each class, they both follow
the same general format and approach.
The classroom emphasis on respect for the
individual and the life of the group is augmented by community
service. Projects such as clean-up in the downtown area,
visits to nursing homes, or coordinating a food drive stimulates
the 6-12 year old's interest in life in the greater community.
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